SES Deploys Satellite Broadband to Aid Nepal’s Flood‑Relief Operations

SES is now providing high‑speed Wi‑Fi connections to government rescue workers across flood‑devastated Nepal, extending its ongoing humanitarian satellite projects.

The operator has a proven track record of delivering critical satellite internet to disaster zones, including hurricanes and earthquakes along the American coast and in the Caribbean, underscoring the urgency of rapid broadband for first responders.

“Satellite‑enabled connectivity can be rapidly deployed to support voice and data communications during emergency situations,” said Sueh Li Som, an SES director based in Singapore.

She explained that SES is working to strengthen communications between disaster response teams operating in the affected regions and government authorities coordinating efforts from Kathmandu, Nepal’s centuries‑old capital.

“SES is providing satellite capacity over Nepal,” she added, “enabling reliable communications links in areas where terrestrial infrastructure may be unavailable, damaged, or difficult to access.”

The Hong‑Kong‑based PCCW (Pacific Century Cyber Works) and its local partner are responsible for supplying the ground equipment and connectivity services that leverage this satellite capacity.

Together, the SES team supplies emergency response and coordination channels for Nepal’s Disaster Management Office in Kathmandu and its rescuers spread across isolated regions hit by floods or landslides.

Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey reported that on “26 August 2026, a catastrophic debris flow and flood were likely triggered by rapid slope failure involving a glacier in Langtang National Park, Nepal, near the border with China.” The flash flood travelled nearly 100 km, impacting populated downstream areas and even a border post between China and Nepal.

“USGS geologists are mapping the inundation boundary of the debris flow and flood by using satellite imagery.”

“Imagery analysis indicates many buildings and infrastructure have likely been buried or destroyed, including a vital highway connecting China and Nepal.”

“Our primary focus,” they reported, “is supporting response and recovery efforts through hazard mapping using satellite imagery.”

Sueh Li Som noted that SES satellites deployed for Nepal’s restoration can likewise “provide broadband connectivity for government agencies, emergency responders, and other critical stakeholders when resilient, always‑available communications are needed during natural disasters and recovery operations.”

Beyond Nepal, SES has recently activated satellites to aid earthquake relief in Colombia and continues its broader humanitarian efforts, including support for Ukraine with portable satellite terminals.

Humanitarian organizations, including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and UNICEF, are converging on Nepal. The Red Cross estimates over 90 000 people injured or displaced, with many homes, bridges, and mountain roads destroyed, cutting off the worst‑affected communities. It launched an emergency appeal to raise 25 million Swiss francs to bolster the Nepal Red Cross Society’s relief drive. UNICEF has dispatched rescue workers and doctors, aiming to provide children with shelters, medical treatment, household supplies, clean drinkable water, and family reunifications.

The worldwide appeal targets both short‑term emergency measures and long‑term recovery, as entire villages remain washed away and needs are expected to grow.

“While we are getting a clearer picture of the scale of devastation, we know that entire villages were washed away and needs will grow in the coming hours and days,” said IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain. “We call on the international community to show solidarity in the months to come,” he added.

Long‑term, UNICEF collaborates with disaster‑hit communities to strengthen medical systems and schools, enhancing resilience to extreme weather events and the escalating threats of climate change.

USGS scientists studying the glacier break‑up said the slope failure generated energy equivalent to a M5.2 earthquake, with a second event recorded about three hours later (M4.2). “A landslide incorporating part of a glacier or a glacial collapse,” they said, created “a fast‑moving, far‑traveled landslide and flood laden with boulders and other rubble.”

Nepalis are pressing the government to create multi‑tiered disaster‑preparedness plans. Prajjwol Gautam, a software engineer who formerly worked at SpaceX, published an Op‑Ed in the Kathmandu Post calling for official backing of satellite internet to close the digital divide. “According to the 2021 census, fewer than a quarter of rural municipalities have home internet access, and the figure is even lower among the poorest households,” Gautam reported. “In a country where earthquakes and landslides can sever physical lines in seconds, satellite internet is not a luxury. It is resilience infrastructure. It is telemedicine for remote clinics, real‑time disaster coordination in the high hills, and the means by which our mountain communities can participate in the digital economy they helped build. The technology is ready. The demand is clear.”

When asked about rapid adoption of satellite broadband in remote Himalayan regions, Sueh Li Som said: “Nepal has made meaningful progress in advancing digital connectivity, while continuing to prioritize broader access to communications services across the country.”

“At the same time, the country’s mountainous terrain and dispersed populations create connectivity challenges that are difficult to address through terrestrial infrastructure alone.”

“This is where satellite technology can add significant value by extending connectivity to locations that may otherwise remain underserved.”

“As demand for connectivity continues to grow, Nepal represents a market where satellite‑enabled services can complement existing networks and contribute to broader efforts to bridge the digital divide, enhance resilience, and support economic development.”

Chaitanya Bodhe, an SES executive based in India, noted that satellite‑based internet can be provided even on Mount Everest. “In principle, satellite‑based internet connectivity can be provided on Mount Everest, or virtually anywhere in Nepal, provided users have access to a suitable satellite terminal with a clear line of sight to the satellite,” he said.

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